Home Preparation for National Talent Search Examination (NTSE)/ Olympiad
Chapter : 8. Our Environment
Characteristics Of Food Chain
Characteristics Of Food Chain Producers based: All sustainable food chains are producer based. Energy : Producers obtain energy from sun. All others (consumers) obtain the energy from food originally built up producers. There is unidirectional flow of energy. Biogenetic Nutrients : Inorganic nutrients must keep on circulating with the help of decomposers. Otherwise, food chains cannot be sustained. Straight : Unless linked with another, food chain runs straight. Size : Food chains are generally short with 3-5 trophic levels. Populations : Size of populations decreases with the rise in trophic level. Top carnivores are always very few. Operation at different trophic levels : An organism can operate at more than one trophic level, e.g., snake feeds on herbivorous rat as well as carnivorous frog.